The Senate voted yesterday to reject competing proposals for raising the minimum
wage from $5.15 per hour, USA Today reports.
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Democrats had proposed raising the minimum wage to $7.25 in three increments
over 26 months. The Senate defeated the measure with 46 votes for it and 49
against it. The measure needed 60 votes to advance, the newspaper notes.
Republicans proposed lifting the minimum wage to 6.25 in two increments over
18 months. The Senate rejected the measure by an even wider margin, with 38
for it and 61 against it.
The Republican proposal had controversial elements, including a provision that
would have allowed employers to offer flex-time by raising the threshold for
determining if overtime pay is owed from 40 hours in one workweek to 80 hours
in two workweeks. In addition, a provision would have exempted more businesses
from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Democrat proposal and the Republican proposal were attached as amendments
to bankruptcy legislation.
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